Jimmy Smith

Hammond Organ
December 8, 1925 -- February 8, 2005

Jimmy Smith

"When we speak about the Hammond B-3, there is nobody better than Jimmy Smith."

--Ron Goldstein

In his years with Verve, Jimmy Smith and his jaunty jazz organ made four appearances on Billboard's hit-singles charts with his recordings of contemporary movie themes, some big-band style orchestrations, and plenty of blues. His mid-sixties work defied the boundaries of idiom, appealing to a huge audience of jazz, r&b, and pop fans. In retrospect, Jimmy Smith's Verve output can stand comparison with the benchmark work of the late Fifties and early Sixties that established his reputation. His conceptual horizons are broader, his magnificent technique even sleeker than before and, as ever, the music swings with wit, joy, and creative abandon.

It is one of the classic injustices of the music business that credit is not always given where credit is due. The past few years have seen a huge resurgence in the popularity of the Hammond B3 organ. Artists like Medeski, Martin and Wood are now bringing the B3 back into the public eye especially to a younger audience. A mass of wood, pedals, stops and keys, the B3 is not an easy instrument to play but its sweet distinct sound is unmistakable. Not surprisingly, many listeners are unaware of the man who is truly the master of the B3: Jimmy Smith. Smith has not received the attention that his legacy and talents so richly deserve.